Cigarette holder for automobile ash trays



May 26, 1953 A. SMERECK CIGARETTE HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILE ASH TRAYS Filed July 6, 1950 Fig. l

I n veutar m q. c m r m Patented May 26, 953

UNITED STATE CIGARETTE HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILE ASH TRAYS,

Arthur Smereck, Detroit, Mich., ass'ignor to Prod uct Development Engineering Research and Promotion Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application July 6, 1950, Serial No. 172,307

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in attachments for ash trays.

An object of this invention is to provide a device or attachment within an ash tray of the type used in automotive vehicles, said device comprising a spring support which is to be fixed to one wall of the ash receptacle, the support having an upper and lower plate, each of which is provided with a seat in order to hold the cam surfaced lower end of an arm in the vertical or horizontal position, whereby when it is in the horizontal position the ash tray may be closed and when it is in the vertical position a cigar and cigarette holder carried by the arm is in such disposition as to be capable of receiving and holding cigars and cigarettes.

Ancillary objects and features of importance will become apparent to those skilled in the art, in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device showing it attached to a conventional ash tray;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and in the direction of the arrows, and;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the support which forms an important part of the invention.

Illustrated in Figure 1 is a fragmentary part I of a dashboard or the like accommodating an ash receptacle or tray having rails I2 and M which are disposed on guides l8 and I8. These guides are attached to a part of the dashboard l0 or a part of the vehicle wherein the ash tray or receptacle is operative.

The ash tray includes side walls 20 and 22 as well as a bottom 24 and a front panel 26. The ash tray also includes a back wall 28 and is of standard construction throughout.

The attachment consists of a spring support generally indicated at 30 (Figure 3). This support has a back wall 32 with openings 34 therein through which the rivets 36 are attached. In installing the device as an accessory rather than standard equipment, screws may be used in lieu of the rivets 36. Other expedients may be resorted to in attaching the support 30 in place as welding.

A horizontal shelf 38 extends from the upper edge of the plate 32 and then a plate 40 rises from the outer edge of the horizontal wall 38. This plate 40 has a transverse notch 44 having a V-shaped section forming a seat for the lower end 46 of the arm 48. A horizontal plate 49 extends from the lower edge of the back wall 32 of the support 38 and has a transverse notch 50 having a V-shaped section forming a seat for said lower end 46 on the arm 48.

The upper edge of the plate 40 has a horizontal wall 52 extending therefrom, which wall is provided with a slot 54 to form a passage for the arm 48. A depending vertical wall 56 is provided at the outer edge of the horizontal wall 52 and is rolled as at 58 on its lower edge in order to constitute a. hanger for the pivot pin 60. The pivot pin is mounted in the rolled part 58 (two of which are provided) at the lower edge of the vertical wall 56.

Gusset plates are provided on the lateral edges of the upper horizontal plate 52 for rigidity of the upper portion of the spring support.

A tapered bore 66 is provided in the upper end of the arm 48 into which the spindle 68 is inserted. A cigar and cigarette holder 10 is fixed to the spindle 68 and is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis when the arm 48 is disposed in the position disclosed in Figure 2. The arm and holder is similar to that disclosed in my application No. 140,013 filed January 23, 1950, now Patent No. 2,617,429 and application No. 171,935 filed July 3, 1950, now Patent No. 2,617,428.

In operation the arm and its holder 10 may be placed in the horizontal position by moving the arm pivotally about the pin as an axis until such time that the end 48 which has a cam surface formed thereon is disposed in the seat formed by the notch or crimp 44. Then the ash tray may be moved inwardly or outwardly. After the ash tray is moved outwardly, by rotating the arm and its holder 10 ninety degrees, the end 46 is disposed in the seat formed by the notch or crimp 50 whereby the cigarette holder is held above the open top of the ash tray.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A cigarette holder comprising a substantially U-shaped resilient bracket mounted on a support and including substantially V-shaped keepers at spaced points, an elongated member pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the bracket, and cigarette retaining means on one end of the member, the other end thereof being substantially V-shaped and engageable selectively in the keepers for releasably securing the member in a vertical or horizontal position on the support.

2. A cigarette holder comprising an angular resilient bracket secured at an intermediate point on a support and including integral keepers on opposite sides of its point of attachment, an elongated member pivotally mounted at an inter- SMERECK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 234,245 Cartwright Nov. 9, 1880 473,919 Edsall "flu-P"- May 3. 1892 Number Number Name Date Paulson May 10, 1910 Naujoks June 29, 1920 Lietz Nov. 9, 1920 Scully Dec. 27, 1921 Engl Oct. .16, 1928 Newman Apr. 4, 1939 Kimball June 4, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 8, 1937 Great Britain Aug. 12, 1937 

